New Minority Movements

The American Indian Movement and

The Chicano Movement

New Minority Movements

The American Indian Movement

Native American Causes for Action

• Native American lands taken under the

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• Native American lands taken in the Southeast due to

the Indian Removal Act of 1830

Native American Causes for Action

• Terrible injustices that Native Americans were forced to endure during the Trail of Tears

Native American Causes for Action

• Native American lands lost in the

Dakotas due to the Discovery of Gold in 1868 and the

Broken Treaty of Fort Laramie

• Native American Lands lost to White Settlement due to the Homestead Act

of 1862

Native American Causes for Action

• The Dawes Allotment Act of 1887 designed

to reduce Tribal Autonomy and Force

them to become Farmers & Assimilate

• Creation of the Carlisle Indian School

(1879) designed to help Assimilate the Native American to the White Society

Native American Causes for Action

• Removal of Native Americans from the Indian Territory due

to the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889

• The Ultimate & Final Injustices

committed by the U.S. Army at the Wounded Knee

Massacre in 1890

Native Americans Start taking Action

• Indian Citizenship Act of 1924:

Finally granted Native Americans the

Right to Vote & Due Process under the Law

• The National Congress of

American Indians:

Formed in 1944 to promote improved living conditions and education

for Native Americans

Native American Causes for Action

• 1953-1968: Termination Policy Survey of Indian Reservations showed horrible conditions

The U.S. Government solution was to terminate the policies of federal aid to the reservations in hopes that it would force the Native Americans to take responsibility

for their own recovery and development

Native American Causes for Action

• 1953-1968: Termination Policy’s impact on the Native American Population

Subject to Federal Taxes Reduction ion power of Tribal

self- government Jurisdiction of Reservation

turned over to the States

Many Native Americans were forced to move to the cities to try and find employment

• By the 1960’s: Many young adults of the Native American tribes considered the older generation to be

“Sell Outs to the White Man’s Laws”

Most Native Americans experienced discrimination, extreme poverty, and total discontentment

The American Indian Movement

• In 1968:

The American Indian Movement was formed in Minnesota to bring attention to the plight of Urban Poverty and

discrimination

• 1969-71: Occupation of Alcatraz Island

“Red Power” activists formed the “Indians of All Tribes” and seized control of the

abandoned “Alcatraz Island” according to their

interpretation of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie

The American Indian Movement • 1969-71: Occupation of Alcatraz Island

More than 5,600 Native Americans occupied the island

Determined to avoid violence and set a positive example

Supported by Jane Fonda, Greatful Dead, and CCR

Plagued by drugs, alcohol, poor sanitation, lack of food

12 year old Yvonne Oaks accidentally fell to her death

Four historical buildings were burned (ending protest)

The American Indian Movement

• 1971-72: Trail of Broken Treaties

The American Indian Movement organized a cross-country protest to bring attention to their plight and U.S. Policy Makers

• 1973: Takeover of Wounded Knee, SD

Approximately 200 Oglala Sioux and members of 75 other nations seized the

town to force investigation of corruption in the

Bureau of Indian Affairs

The American Indian Movement • 1973: Takeover of Wounded Knee, SD

Standoff lasted 71 days between Native Americans and law enforcement agencies

Demanded investigations into 371 treaties over the past 100 years

Heavy daily gunfire resulted in 2 killed and over 1,200 arrested (12 others disappeared without a trace)

The American Indian Movement

• 1978: The Longest Walk

Approximately 2,000 Native Americans and Supporters walked 2,700 miles from San Francisco to Washington

Symbolizing the Native American Forced Removals

To protest and lobby against 11 Congressional Bills that threatened existing treaties and Native American lands

Unified efforts successful defeated all the legislation

New Minority Movements

The Chicano Movement

Latin American Causes for Action

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848

promised citizenship to an estimated 80,000

Mexicans in the Ceded Territories

California (1849-1890)

Employers used aggressive job

recruiting to hire Mexicans for the Gold Industry, Railroads,

Meatpacking & Farms

Latin American Causes for Action

• Mexican Revolution caused many Mexicans

to flee across the border into the U.S. between 1910-1920

1924: First Official Border Patrol Post was established along the U.S.-Mexican border

Control of the border was sparsely controlled

and very limited

Latin Americans Start taking Action

1929: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was formed

Organized to fight against voting, education, and employment discrimination in the United States

A Conservative organization open only to legal citizens

Latin American Causes for Action

• Mexican Repatriation during the Great Depression (1929-1939)

Unconstitutional Removal and Forced Emigration of an estimated 2 million (1.2 million were U.S. citizens)

Due to concerns over White unemployment rates and rising costs of Welfare for un-documented Mexicans

Latin American Causes for Action

• Changing Mexican Immigration policies between 1920 – 1939

Latin American Causes for Action

• Mexican Bracero Program initiated during World War II (1942 - 1964)

Initiated in 1942 due to the demand for additional labor in the Texas agricultural industry during WWII

Eventually spread from California to Georgia (farming)

Railroad Bracero program developed from 1942-1945

Latin American Causes for Action

• Operation Wetback (1952-1955)

Based on a request from the Mexican government to stop illegal entries by Mexican Nationals into the U.S.

Increased the number of U.S. Border Agents (1,692)

Allegations of abuse and civil rights violations occurred

Deported 1,075,168 illegal Mexicans by bus and ship

Latin American Causes for Action • Mexican Bracero Program (1942-1964)

versus Operation Wetback (1952-1955)

Year Number of

Braceros

Applicable U.S.

Law

1942 4,203 (wartime)

1943 44,600] (wartime)

1944 62,170 (wartime)

1945 44,600 (wartime)

1946 44,600 Public Law 45

1947 30,000) PL 45, PL 40

1948 30,000 Public Law 893

1949

& 1950 79,000

Period of

administrative

agreements

1951 192,000[ AA/Public Law 78

1952 197,100 Public Law 78

1953 201,380 Public Law 78

1954 309,033 Public Law 78

1955 398,650 Public Law 78

1956 445,197 Public Law 78

1957 436,049 Public Law 78

1958 432,491 Public Law 78

1959 444,408 Public Law 78

1960 319,412 Public Law 78

1961 296,464 Public Law 78

1962 198,322 Public Law 78

1963 189,528 Public Law 78

1964 179,298 Public Law 78

Latin Americans Start taking Action

• American G.I. Forum (1948 - Present)

Formed in 1948 by Dr. Hector Garcia after the clinic at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Cristi, Texas refused to admit a Chicano veteran

Received national notoriety in 1949 when a funeral home in Three Rivers, Texas refused funeral services to U.S. Army Private Felix C. Longoria, Jr.

The organization gained him a military burial at Arlington

They continue to fight for the rights of Chicano servicemen

Latin Americans Start taking Action

The Chicano Movement

• Organized to fight for political power

To obtain proper political representation in Congress

To eliminate poll taxes and literacy tests for Chicanos

To regulate Gerrymandering within voting districts

To eliminate voter intimidation and repression

• Mexican American Political Association (1959)

Founded in Fresno California (1959)

Established as the primary political voice for the Mexican-American community in the United States

Conducted local voter registrations

Latin Americans Start taking Action

The Chicano Movement

Viva Kennedy Clubs Formed to support the

1960 Presidential Election of John F. Kennedy

Helped gain two pivotal states for JFK: Texas and California

United Farm Workers

Formed in 1962 to improve social, economic, and voting conditions for migrant farm workers

Originally organized by Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez

Latin Americans Start taking Action The Chicano Movement

United Farm Workers Organized a major produce

boycott in 1965 in response to farmers failure to raise

the minimum wages of struggling farm workers

The continued to campaign against unfair labor & voting

practices in the 1970’s

The United Farm Workers eventually joined forces

with the AFL-CIO

Latin Americans Start taking Action

The Chicano Movement

Mexican American Youth Organization (1963-67)

To obtain proper political representation in Congress

To eliminate poll taxes and literacy tests for Chicanos

To regulate Gerrymandering within voting districts

To eliminate voter intimidation and repression

Five Chicano’s successfully ran for local office in Texas (1963)

Elections resulted in bad Anglo reactions (job loss, pay cuts, etc)

Jose Angel Gutierrez eventually led organization of La Raza Unida

Latin Americans Start taking Action

The Chicano Movement

La Raza Unida (1970)

An independent Chicano political party organized by Jose Angel Gutierrez

Promoted support for Mexican land grants, gun control, limitations of Police powers, and voter registration

Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Founded in 1968 as a non-profit organization formed to protect the civil rights of Latinos in the U.S.

Developed with the help of LULAC and the NAACP

Won legal battles concerning voting rights and equal opportunity for public and college education